Billfold with intermittently reinforced edge



Sept. 23, 1952 5. J. SMALLMAN BILLFOLD WITH INTERMITTENTLY REINFORCED EDGE Filed Dec. 15, 1949 iii" 'h l INVENTQR Samue/ JJmai/man ATTORNEY fiatented Sept. 23, 1952 1 I'BILLFOLD WITH INTERIVHTTENTLY REINFORCED EDGE Samuel J Smallman, Passaic, N. .L, assignorto j I. Smaliman and Sons Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey 1s, ma srijauvo. 132.154

Application December lfClaim. (01. 150-38, f

This invention relates to billfolds or wallets. More particularly, it is directed to a novel edge reinforcement for abill-fold.

Billfolds generally comprise a number of leaves or layers of natural or artificial leather, or other suitable fabric arranged to form compartments and/or pockets for bills, papers, cards, stamps,

etci .Customarily, the several leaves are united by stitched seams extending around two or more edges of the billfold, and the arrangement is such that the billfold may be folded about a transverse center line.

In normal usage, billfolds are folded and unfolded several times a day, and are frequently in-. sertedin and withdrawn from the ;wearers pocket. This causes-wear, particularly on the edges of the billfold and strains on the stitched seams. Consequently, the billfold usually wears out at its edges or else the edges may come apart due to loosening or breaking of the seam stitches.

Various means have been proposed to prevent I or eliminate this edge wear in billfolds. General- 1y, however, the edge reinforcements proposed have made the billfolds stiff and rigid. This is highly undesirable, a flexibility of the billfold is an important characteristic, particularly in the hip pocket type.

In some very expensve, custom made billfolds, the edges have been reinforced without detracting from the flexibility of the billfold. This has been effected by individually securing separate metal clips to the corners of the billfold and in spaced relation along the billfold edges. The clips, projecting somewhat beyond the edges of the leather leaves, protect the billfold edges, while the gaps or spacing between the clips provides for flexibility. However, this reinforcing has not been applicable to less expensive billfolds. because of the high labor costs involved in individually securing the separate metal clips to the billfold edges. This additional cost can be justified only in billfolds selling for several times the price of an average billfold.

The present invention is directed to attaining such edge reinforcing in a novel and inexpensive manner such that a low cost billfold. in the folded condition, has the same appearance as one of the mentioned expensive billfolds. To this end, an edge reinforcement is formed from a single strip of metal die cut, or otherwise formed, with the appearance of a comb. Thus, the reinforcement comprises a long, narrow continuous strip of flexible metal having unform length, substantially rectangular, spaced projections extending from one edge. These projections are of different eventually form section of the billfold.

lengths, the two longest being located so as to the corner reinforcements'on one Either during the formation of the strip, or subsequent thereto,'the projections are bent into a U-shape so as to form a series of channels having one flange integral with and connected by a narrow strip. Atithe sam'e'time, the strip as a whole is bent edgewise intoia U-shape.

The so-formed strip is then slid over two sides and anend of the billfold, with the continuous strip lying against the inner wall of the billfold and the free ends of the projections lying along the outer wall. The assembly is; then placed between dies having a U-shapepressure surface conforming to that-of the'reinforcement The dies are then closed .to simultaneously crimp all of the projections on the billfold edge. The opposite section of the billfold is similarly reinforced.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved edge reinforcement for billfolds without detracting from the flexibility of the billfold.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive edge renforcement having the same outward appearance as reinforcements used only on expensive billfolds.

' These, and other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an inside elevation view of an opened billfold embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an outside elevation view of the folded billfold.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a typical crimping die used to perform the invention.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views of the crimping operation.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is illustrated as applied to a billfold I0 having an inner wall ll, an outer wall l2 and a wall I3 cooperable therewith to provide compartments or pockets. Billfold i8 is exemplary of any desired type of billfold, and its constructional details form no part of the present invention.

The side and end edges of the billfold are provided with a pair of identical reinforcements 20 formed in accordance with the present invention. Each reinforcement comprises a single strip of thin flexible metal cut and shaped to provide a continuous elongated narrow strip 2| integral with lateral projections 22, 23. These projections eral clips.

are substantially rectangular in plan and of unicenter line to form a channel, as shown in Fig. 4, v

and is bent about two transverse lines to have an overall U-shape. As finished, it comprises a series of individual channels 22, 23 having one flange integral with and united by strip 2|.

Each reinforcement 20 is then slipped over an end of billfold in so that the end and side edges lie in the channels, the longer channels 22 forming the corner reinforcements. Strip 2| lies against inner wall I I, being spaced inwardly from the edges, and projections 22, 23 lie, in spaced relation along the outer billfold wall 12. Thus, in the folded condition of the billfold, as seen in Fig. 2, the effect is that of a plurality of individually attached clips along the billfold edges.

The reinforcements are crimped to the billfold by suitable dies such as 30, 30', each having a semi-cylindrical U-shape groove 3|, 3! corresponding to a reinforcement 20., When the dies close on the reinforcement, a. curvature is imparted to reinforcement 20 (Fig. 4) with the corner edges, such as 24, 26 biting into the billfold walls. 7

All of the projections are simultaneously clipped to the billfold, eliminating the costly and laborious individual clipping previously used. This simultaneous securement is due to the use of the integral joining strip 2| between the sev- This strip is spaced inwardly ofthe billfold edges, being concealed when the billfold is folded. As it is thin, it does not hinder flexibility of the billfold. 4

While a specific embodiment'of the invention 4 has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles thereof, it should be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

In a billfold of flexible material a U-shaped edge reinforcement overlying an end and two side edges of the billfold and comprising a plurality of U-shape metal clips arranged in longitudinally spaced relation along such edges, each clip having one leg overlying an inner billfold surface and the other overlying an outer billfold surface, and a narrow metal strip integral with such one leg of each clip and extending along such inner wall surface in inwardly spaced relation to such edges whereby, when the wallet is folded, the edges appear to be reinforced by individual spaced clips.

SAMUEL J. SMALLMAN.

Hummers min The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

